THE Brits have headed Down Under for the annual battle for international classic road race honours against their Antipodean rivals - and two Teessiders are at the forefront of the challenge.

The Phillip Island Classic International Challenge this Saturday and Sunday features 15-man teams from Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

And included in the British contingent are Middlesbrough’s Dave Woolams (Diptune Moriwaki) and Colin Stockdale of Guisborough (Honda CB500).

Along with their team- mates they will gain valuable experience of the circuit during a track day on Thursday before taking part in practice and qualifying on Friday then getting down to the serious business of racing on Saturday and Sunday.

The circuit, in Victoria, attracted a bumper 18,000 attendance last year when former 500cc world champion Wayne Gardner led the Aussies to victory.

Now Stockdale, the 2008 Classic Racing MC’s Summerfield National 500cc Group Two champion, can’t wait to get on the track.

“A couple of years ago the ship that had the containers with the bikes in broke down in Italy,” he said “so the British riders had to borrow bikes once they were out there.

“Hopefully that won’t happen this year!

“The Brits usually come last because we have to stick to our classic racing rules, which means for example they are allowed slick tyres and run their bikes on methanol, but we’re not.

“There’s the heat as well - I was there last January and it was 43 degrees.

“But it’s going to be an incredible experience and I can’t wait for next weekend.

“We’ll be up against riders like Cameron Donald, an Aussie on a 1962 Manx Norton who has lapped the Isle of Man at over 126mph!”

The International Challenge is made up of four six-lap races around the 2.762-mile circuit, home of Australia’s MotoGP and World Superbike rounds.

Stockdale will also compete in the 500cc open races while Woolams takes extra rides in the unlimited class.

The team’s bikes were loaded onto an Oz-bound ship in November while the riders themselves flew out at the weekend.

“Lee Gourlay, who is the British classic champion, is in our team,” added Stockdale, “and we’re hoping to beat the New Zealanders this year.”

Stockdale has had plenty of international experience over the past year as he heads into the weekend’s meeting.

“I went to Assen in Holland where I finished 15th out of 41 starters, Ostende in Belgium where I was 11th and a 15th in front of 20,000 people at Hockenheim (Germany),” he said. “I’ve done a few meetings in this country too but this is what I’ve been working towards.”